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Earth Alliance (Jupiter's Dawn)
The Earth Alliance (EA) is a major faction in the Jupiter's Dawn timeline; a variant on the Cosmic Era timeline developed by Juubi-K. The EA is a military and political alliance created in the aftermath of the Tragedy of Copernicus in CE 70; in which a terrorist attack on the lunar city of Copernicus wiped out the United Nations leadership. It professes to maintain the principles of democracy and subsidiarity upon which the Cosmic Era was built, but in practice it has become a military junta built around the OMNI supreme command headquarters, with support from major business interests and extremist political organisations such as Blue Cosmos. Regardless, it remains the single most powerful faction in the Earth Sphere, and arguably the entire Solar System. Territory The EA was founded as a hasty military alliance of the Atlantic Federation, the Eurasian Federation, the East Asian Federation, and the South African Federation; and as such contains all their territories as in canon. The United States of South America was forced to join in February of C.E. 70., only to secede in November of C.E. 71 at the cost of the Central American cantons. The Equatorial Union and Kingdom of Scandinavia also joined in late C.E. 71, only to leave after the signing of the Treaty of Junius in C.E. 72. Between its various members, the EA also possesses substantial colonial holdings, including effective control of the Moon, and the Lagrange Points L1, L2, and several colonies in L3. Government and Politics Cantons The political organisation is based on that of the pre-Copernicus UN. Under this system, the Earth was divided into self-governing Cantons, with populations ranging from 5 to 10 million. The purpose of this system was to enforce meaningful self-government at the local level, as well as to address the percieved 'democratic deficit' of supranational organisations such as the UN. Conveniently, the population limit for a Canton is around the same as that of a large O'Neill cylinder, meaning that each of these colonies is able to function as a canton in its own right. Cantons are required to elect their own legislatures, and each sends a representative to the UN General Assembly; which functions as a Legislature. Cantons have a number of sovereign rights, including tax collection, lawmaking, and defence. Larger organisations, such as economic unions or nation states, may exist so long as the constituent cantons consent to remain; in which case the aforementioned sovereign rights are pooled. In practice, all cantons on Earth are part of a multi-canton body of one sort of another, though some colonies remain independent. General Assembly The General Assembly acts as the representative body for the cantons; and as such numbers in the many thousands. It has the power to override the State Assembly and the Office of the General Secretary by a two-thirds vote, and generally functions in a manner comparable to a lower house of a democratic legislature. During the Tragedy of Copernicus its membership was wiped out, and the Earth Alliance did not reconstitute it, allowing the State Assembly to rule without meaningful democratic oversight; citing a state of emergency. State Assembly The State Assembly acts as the upper house of the legislature, and represents multi-canton institutions. Before Copernicus, these were the Atlantic Federation, the Eurasian Federation, the East Asian Federation, the South African Federation, the Equatorial Union, the United States of South America, the African Community, the Oceania Union, the Kingdom of Scandinavia, and the Orb Union. After Copernicus, the Earth Alliance powers reconstituted the State Assembly as its governing body, with the other powers walking out in protest; both at its policies, its overt anti-Coordinator and anti-Spacenoid ethos, and its refusal to reconstitute the General Assembly. The State Assembly is made up of representatives appointed by its member institutions, as well as representatives of the various special committees, and civilian or military 'advisors' brought in on an informal basis. Thus Muruta Azrael sat on the State Assembly post-Copernicus, ostensibly as head of the National Defence Industry Association, but also as the leader of Blue Cosmos. World Court The World Court acts as the Judicial branch of the UN government. Its responsibilities include overseeing state and canton judiciaries, and handling international and intergovernmental judicial and legal matters. It is constitutional equal to the State Assembly, but in practice the EA has tended to dominate and control it for its own purposes; including installing pro-EA and pro-Blue Cosmos magistrates, enforcing decisions beneficial to the latter, and forcing those considered political unreliable to resign. By C.E. 71, the World Court was widely regarded as a political puppet of the EA. OMNI Enforcer Oppose-Militancy-and-Neutralize-Invasion (OMNI) began as the military wing of the UN, and the Earth's first real world army. Its original role was to act as a peacekeeping force under UN control, with a mandate to maintain peace and prevent illegal behaviour by governments. Over time it grew into a truly massive force, and the idealism of its youth became tainted by ambition and organisational empire-building. OMNI is controlled by the Supreme Command Headquarters, with a civilian oversight commitee jointly appointed by the State Assembly and the World Court. Following Copernicus, the oversight committee was disbanded and SCHQ chiefs sat on the State Assembly. Over time, ambitious OMNI chiefs were able to turn the State Assembly into a military junta, with Blue Cosmos and other extremist organisations providing the civilian political clout. Society and Culture The EA is a truly vast organisation covering much of the Earth and many of its space assets. Countless cultures and subcultures thus reside under its aegis, enjoying varying levels of social and legal acceptance. A notable feature of Earth Sphere society is the increasingly aristocratic character of its political and social elites. Perhaps the biggest social issue of the age is that of Genetic Identity. The vast majority of the Earth's population are Naturals, though the extent to which their genomes remain 'untainted' is a movable feast at best. Genetic engineering first became an issue in the decades running up to the Reconstruction Wars, though the changes involved were relatively minor compared to what would come later. This continued throughout the Reconstruction Wars and on into the Cosmic Era, culiminating in the so-called 'Glenn Method' by which Coordinators were created. Demihumans Demihumans are living reminders of an older, pre-Glenn age of genetic engineering. As this technology became increasingly accessible in the runup to the Reconstruction Wars, it was increasingly used by private individuals to genetically modify themselves and their children in accordance with their own tastes; some of them quite unusual. Some alterations, such as additional thumbs or elongated 'elf' ears, were relatively minor. Others, such as non-natural hair colours, were so widespread as to barely attract comment in later decades. Demihumans, as they came to be known, were the most extreme example of this tendency. These were genetically engineered to possess non-human features, such as tails, digitigrade legs, fur, and nonhuman ears. Those involved regarded this as a form of self-expression and an exercise of parental right, and dismissed any criticism as bigotry. But demihumans were often the targets of prejudice and violent mistreatment, with many perpetrators attempting to escape punishment with the 'Uncanny Valley' defence. The final straw was the birth of Chiron Deuros, the world's first and thus far only known centaur, in C.E. 15. The creation of demihumans was banned almost immediately under the Torino Protocol, though the legislation was not able to prevent the Coordinator Boom. The Demihuman community remains relatively small, numbering a few million individuals at most. They endure widespread prejudice and violent bigotry, and as such tend to reside in sparsely-inhabited regions; though a substantial number are rumoured to be living on an abandoned colony in the L4 shoal zone. They are often targeted by Blue Cosmos - though less so than Coordinators - and widely dismissed as freaks unworthy of consideration. Ironically, even Coordinators tend to be less than sympathetic, regarding them as an embarrassment. George Glenn, to his credit, campaigned against the mistreatment of demihumans throughout his life. Coordinators If Demihumans are generally dismissed as a joke, Coordinators are the true ''bete noire ''of Earth Sphere society. Created by the 'Glenn Method' of genetic engineering, Coordinators are true superhumans; their physical and mental abilities enhanced as far as the practical limitations of their biology will allow. In physical terms, this includes enhanced strength, agility, reflexes, and speed, with muscles capable of both fast- and slow-twitch, as well as improved immune, circulatory, and cardiovascular systems. In mental terms, this includes improvements not so much in ‘intelligence‘ - a difficult concept to define - but in quantifiable features such as learning, recall, and overall capacity. Coordinator brains were also found to respond more easily to MMI pickups than those of Naturals, leading to rumours that Coordinators were telepathic. During their boom years, from C.E. 30 to the C.E. 50s, Coordinators came to dominate almost all professions and occupations. Perhaps inevitably, this led to widespread resentment, boiling over into hatred and violence. This was in part motivated by jealousy, but also by socioeconomic resentments; for many Coordinators were born to already wealthy families, and even during the boom years, few if any Coordinators came from poorer demographics. To many, the Coordinator boom was symbolic of an already aristocratic elite using genetic engineering to reinforce their privileges. The Coordinator population numbers around thirty million, the vast majority of which resides in the PLANTs. Those remaining on Earth live primarily in the Orb Union or the Oceania Union. Those living in EA territories live shadow lives, condemned to hide who they are lest they draw the attention of Blue Cosmos, EA security forces, or random bigots of one sort or another. Some actively work for the EA, usually in a military capacity as so-called Combat Coordinators. Others drop out altogether, hiding in isolated communities - including demihuman communities - or fleeing to neutral colonies such as Liteira. Blue Cosmos Though many political and economic groups wield influence in the Earth Alliance, none are half so driven or dangerous as Blue Cosmos. Starting out as an environmentalist pressure group with a sideline in ecoterrorism, Blue Cosmos first gained real attention in the aftermath of the Glenn Confession, when it declared itself in total opposition to genetic engineering of any kind. Blue Cosmos’ motives in opposing genetic engineering were more complex than their reputation would suggest. By that time its primary leader was Galen Mikhail, a complex and slippery character about whom little is known for certain. It was Mikhail who gave Blue Cosmos an organised and complex ideology, bordering on a mythology, for the first time in its existence. He based his ideology around James Lovelock’s Gaia Hypothesis; in which the Earth and all life within it formed a vast, synergistic, self-regulating system. In particular, Mikhail’s version held that evolution was regulated by this process, creating a variety of pressures and contexts that favoured some features and penalised others. This prevented the rise of an all-powerful super-predator that would consume and destroy all around it, and thus doom itself. Humanity was therefore inherently dangerous, for it was as close to such a predator as any naturally-evolving life form could be. To engage in genetic engineering, a possibility only a human mind could conceive of, was even more dangerous; for it would upset the natural balance by applying features and capabilities where they had not previously existed, and could not have evolved naturally. Worse, the enhancement of human capability would simply make humans all the more dangerous by further weakening Gaia’s capacity to contain them; such as by disease or predation. It was this ideology that raised Blue Cosmos above the various other anti-Coordinator organisations that arose in the early Cosmic Era. Its members could convince themselves that they fought for something higher and nobler than mere xenophobia or jealousy. But what allowed Blue Cosmos to rise from a mere pressure group to something truly dangerous was its ability to attract professional terrorists. Terrorism and unconventional warfare had played a major role in the Reconstruction Wars, leaving many burned-out veterans in search of a new cause, or sufficiently disillusioned to sell their skills for cash. With their help, Blue Cosmos organised itself into cell structure, and began launching attacks on anyone they judged to be engaged in genetic engineering. The organisation nevertheless fell into obscurity from C.E. 30 to around C.E. 50, as public opinion shifted in favour of genetic engineering, and the failure of the Torino Protocol became apparent. But this peaceful time was not destined to last. As space development slowed, and colonial populations became increasingly restive, colony construction also dropped off; until the PLANTs became the only major space development project. This general dropoff led to a decline in the availability of careers in space, with those available generally going to Coordinators. The result was growing resentment among young Naturals who dreamed of going into space, yet felt robbed of opportunities by Coordinators. Blue Cosmos was quick to capitalize on this, and it was one such young man who, in C.E. 51, assassinated George Glenn. By this point, Blue Cosmos had gradually evolved into a more sophisticated political organisation, capable of operating on multiple levels. Also, the leadership had begun attracting a new generation of Naturals from elite backgrounds, notably Muruta Azrael, who provided Blue Cosmos not only with funds and connections, but a fanaticism as ruthless as anything the old guard could manage. Blue Cosmos turned its attentions increasingly to political manipulation, expanding its power and influence through the ballot box or the bomb depending on local circumstances. Ironically, the Atlantic Federation - the most democratic of all the superpowers - ended up as Blue Cosmos’ political heartland. The reasons for this success are complex, but derive heavily from the Atlantic Federation’s culture and self-image. The was based strongly around an ideal of rugged individualism and meritocracy. In a good society, wealth and status went to the capable and the hard-working, regardless of their background. Coordinators were the ultimate affront to these ideals, as they enjoyed superior ability simply by virtue of having wealthy parents willing to have them enhanced, or else parents who were Coordinators themselves. Under a meritocratic system, there could be no bar to Coordinators attaining wealth and status, as they could do so purely on their superior ability. The idea of wealthy elites using genetic engineering to lock in their status and monopolise power and wealth for their heirs in perpetuity was deeply offensive, and politicians and political parties backed by Blue Cosmos, or at least sympathetic to them, invariably did well at the polls. When Mikhail finally died in C.E. 60, an internal shakeup occurred. The old guard were swiftly pushed aside by a new generation of younger, well-educated idealogues, led by Muruta Azrael. Azrael quickly established himself as the organisation’s sole leader, and used his newfound power to acquire political advantages for himself; while at the same time using his personal wealth and connections to strengthen his position in Blue Cosmos. So influential did he become, that not only did he persuade OMNI to found Phantom Pain, but even persuaded them to place it under the control of one of his key allies, the mysterious Djibril. By the C.E. 70s, Blue Cosmos was weakened and discredited, in part due to the extreme behaviour of Muruta Azrael. It nevertheless remained a potent force in Earth Sphere politics, albeit as a tool of Djibril’s own ambitions; ambitions of which it knew little, and understood even less. Military The Earth Alliance’s primary (and only legitimate) military force is OMNI Enforcer. Starting as a UN-controlled peacekeeping force, it gradually expanded to encompass tens of millions of personnel, with a full range of capabilities. Its white uniforms are a reflection of this heritage. Though officially a united force under the control of the State Assembly, it is in reality made up of contingents provided by the EA superpowers, which could function as private armies for those superpowers if need be. Planetary Forces OMNI’s planetary forces are divided into the traditional branches of Army, Navy, and Air Force. Despite this, their rank and organisational structures are standardised in order to facilitate cooperation. All three branches maintain their own special forces, specialising as appropriate; the Rangers for the army, the Marines for the navy, and the paratroopers for the air force. All three forces nevertheless crosstrain extensively, and work well together despite mostly friendly rivalries. OMNI planetary warfare doctrine owes a great deal to its past as a peacekeeping force. Its primary units were originally airborne brigades of light infantry, designed for rapid deployment to a crisis zone, with air and naval assets providing heavy firepower where needed. For peacekeeping and counterinsurgency, this was generally adequate. Some of the tougher interventions nevertheless required heavier firepower, for which Linear Tanks and Linear Artillery - based on designs left over from the Reconstruction Wars - were made available. This structure uses battalions as building blocks; with a battalion representing a unit capable of functioning independently, yet serving as part of a larger formation if need be. On this basis, a standard infantry brigade consisted of three infantry battalions, one recon battalion, one support battalion, and one engineer battalion. Recon battalions would make use of LTVs (from which the MLTV, or ‘missile truck’ was later derived), while the other battalions would use conventional trucks. A battalion of VTOL gunships would generally be added to provide close air support. The flaws of this approach became apparent during some of the tougher mid-century interventions, notably in the African Community. In these cases, OMNI faced not just lightly-armed insurgents, but militias and semi-formal armies equipped with heavy weapons such as tanks, artillery, and even aircraft; much of it left over from the Reconstruction Wars. OMNI’s light infantry brigades tended to suffer in such battles, and relied heavily on air support to make headway. But despite repeated requests from the OMNI army, SCHQ rejected proposed APC designs on grounds of cost and organisational complexity. Its response was to hold the infantry back and fight a war of machines, making more use of Linear tanks and linear artillery, with plenty of air support. This proved generally effective, but highly destructive. When up against ZAFT, OMNI expected that the space forces would be able to trap ZAFT’s own fleet in the PLANTs at the very least, while the planetary forces would launch full-scale invasions of the African Community and Oceania Union, which had openly declared for the PLANTs. Their cantonal police forces and hastily-organised armies - many of them made up of withdrawn OMNI personnel - were expected to be no match for OMNI’s heavily-armed forces. The general plan was to launch conventional invasions - from the SAU in Africa, and amphibious in the case of Oceania; with special forces scouting ahead and launching covert attacks, airborne troops seizing vital locations, and air strikes hitting strategic targets. Through this the ground forces would advance, with Linear Tanks acting as the main striking arm, and infantry deploying only where they were specifically needed, while long-ranged linear artillery provided artillery support. As fate would have it, this did not happen. ZAFT succeeded in defeating OMNI’s orbital fleets, and was able to deploy planetary forces in support of its allies. Aside from the N-Jammers interfering with their sensors and communications, OMNI was forced to face mobile suits and landships for the first time. These proved most effective when used aggressively with plentiful air support, as Andrew Waltfeld - the curiously named ‘Desert Tiger’ - was known for. ZAFT’s air assets were in their own way more deadly than their mobile suits, for having lost air superiority there was little OMNI could do to prevent ZAFT Infestus fighters and Heli helicopter gunships from interdicting their armour and artillery, leaving them all the more vulnerable to fast-moving mobile suit teams. OMNI gradually adapted to this with mobile suits of their own, as well as the mighty Hannibal class Land Battleship. Space Forces The OMNI Space Force is the youngest branch of OMNI, and one of the most prestigious. The SF had its origins in the space forces of the EA superpowers, notably the Atlantic Federation’s Federal Space Force (FSF). Their role was to assert their authority among the newly-built colonies, put down terrorists, pirates, separatists, and other such troublemakers, and also keep their rivals from claim-jumping. Space battles became quite common, generally taking place between primitive mobile armours and soft-skinned warships armed mostly with torpedoes. This era came to an end in the C.E. 30s, when the FSF rolled out the Drake Class warship and its first purpose-built mobile armours, along with establishing a military base on the Moon. The Drake class was the last of the old-style warships, and the first of the new. With its heavier armour, improved sensor package, and its three 75mm vulcan cannons, it could not only intercept anti-ship torpedoes at worthwhile ranges, but survive any high-velocity debris hurled its way; while six torpedo tubes and space for four mobile armours gave it plenty of attack options. The appearance of the Nelson class battleship in C.E. 40 pushed the Drake into an escort role, but the standard had been set. None of the other space powers could produce anything to match either design, and with the establishment of the PLANTs and unrest in space growing worse, the absorbtion of the space fleets into OMNI in C.E. 45 met little resistance. The Agamemnon-Class carrier and the Moebius mobile armour arrived shortly afterwards. As the situation in space grew more chaotic, the OMNI SF began to expand its resources. The basis for its organisation became the Orbital Fleet, numbering 12x Drake class escorts, 12x Nelson class battleships, and six Agamemnon class carriers, for a total of 30x warships and 336x Moebius mobile armours. These could in turn be split into carrier battlegroups built around a single carrier. When supplies were needed, they were delivered by Marseille III freighters, with around 20 being needed to supply an entire orbital fleet. The Marseille III could alternatively carry up to four mobile armours internally if need be. OMNI space doctrine was a hybrid of old-style ‘big battleship’ warfare and newer ‘carrier’ warfare, with both schools enjoying high-profile support in OMNI’s upper echelons. Battleships would engage with beam cannons and torpedoes at ranges of around two hundred kilometres; torpedoes could technically go much further, but enemy CIWS and interceptors made this largely pointless. A fleet could chose to stand off, keeping its mobile armours in close for interception, or advance its mobile armours to wreak havoc on the enemy fleet at close range. 50 kilometres was considered ‘knife-fight’ range, at which a ship could be spotted using simple optical systems. Mobile armours generally engaged with underslung torpedoes at this range, though some pilots swore by moving into point-blank range; at which range defensive weapons could not easily target them. ZAFT responded to this with its N-Jammers and mobile suits. The former jammed OMNI sensors more effectively than anything they were used to, forcing OMNI warships to rely on laser and optical targeting; technologies it had hitheto neglected. The latter took the carrier aspect to a new level, outmanouvreing and outfighting the ageing Moebius at every turn, then closing to what was dubbed ‘melee‘ range; within ten kilometres and often much less. At such short ranges, the Drake’s 75mm guns could not track them fast enough, while the Nelson’s lighter autocannons could not inflict sufficient damage. Worse, OMNI’s Helldart missiles could not safely use thermal targeting at such close ranges, while laser and optical guidance could be defeated by the mobile suits own jammers. Thus, mobile suits could wreak havoc on a fleet, while warships fired from a distance. OMNI was able to counter this through two factors. One was the use of its own mobile suits and improved mobile armours. The other was a new integrated sensor package, in which individual Electromagnetic, Laser, and Optical sensors were not only more numerous, but all combined into a single system; with a state-of-the-art quantum computer system managing it all. This system was first used on the Archangel, allowing its undersized crew - several of them teenage volunteers - to fight off an elite ZAFT unit. With the concept proven, OMNI was quick to upgrade its remaining warships with the sensor package, though the computer upgrades would take longer. Mobile Weapons The first modern mobile weapons were so-called mobile armours, of which the first were deployed by the Atlantic Federation In C.E. 35. The term referred to their heritage as variants on the ‘mobile worker’; a range of all-purpose spacepods that appeared early in the colony boom. The very first mobile armours were simply mobile workers jury-rigged with weaponry, whether by rebels, terrorists, or criminals, or the colonists and constructions trying to resist them. The Atlantic Federation’s C.E. 35 creation, the TS-MA1 Gemini, was the first to be purpose-built for combat. Though crude by modern standards, the Gemini was faster, more agile, and more resilient than any of its contemporaries, giving it a clear advantage in space combat. The Gemini was replaced in C.E. 46, a year after the creation of the OMNI Space Force, by the TAS-MA2 Moebius. This design was essentially an upgrade on the same concept as the Gemini, but with the added feature of being able to swap out its underslung secondary armament. The originally intended replacement for the Gemini was the even more powerful TAS-MA2mod.00 Moebius Zero, but the revolutionary Gunbarrel System - a set of four independent gunpods controlled by the pilot - proved too difficult for all but a rare few pilots to handle. As such, the Moebius Zero was restricted to a single elite unit, made famous by its sacrifice at the Battle of Endymion Crater. The Moebius remained OMNI’s primary mobile armour for nearly twenty-five years, before a new star would rise to eclipse it: the mobile suit. Also derived from the mobile worker, the name referred to the mobile suit’s humanoid appearance, which allowed it to move in and out of colonies and operate in a variety of conditions - including zero and Earth-like gravity - with equal alacrity. Though OMNI had tended to scoff at the idea of combat mobile suits, the Zodiac Alliance embraced the concept for its versatility. The result was the YMF-01 GINN, the Earth Sphere‘s first true combat mobile suit, which first saw combat in C.E. 65. Even this early version proved unmanageable, with kill ratios of three to one. When the ZGMF-1017 GINN appeared two years later - leading the YMF-001 to be renamed the Proto-GINN - this ratio shot up to five to one. Though GINNs were not significantly more resilient or heavily armed than the Moebius, they won out with superior acceleration and agility - made possible in part by the Coordinator pilot’s superior physiology. But the real secret was the Wireless Mind Machine Impulse system, or Neurolink, which allowed the pilot to control the GINN’s movements with relative ease. OMNI gained vital insights into this technology from wrecked GINNs - some of them covertly purchased from the Junk Guild - but whenever its own pilots tried to pilot a restored GINN, they could barely make it move. The Neurolink was designed from the bottom up with a Coordinator’s brain and reflexes in mind, and was not sensitive enough to work for a Natural; and could not be made so without a complete rebuild and reprogramming. The battle to master this technology became a major part of the EA superpowers’ own mobile suit projects; of which the Atlantic Federation’s G-Weapon project would prove the most significant. By C.E. 70, the project - run in secret cooperation with the Orb Union, on its Heliopolis Colony - had produced five technology demonstrators and a specialised warship to carry them - the Archangel. A subsequent raid by ZAFT’s Le Creuset Team would steal four of the five G-weapons, while the fifth was retrieved and piloted by an Orb citizen, Kira Yamato, who had become caught up in the fighting. It was he who gave the G-weapon its famous name, based on its accronym of General Unilateral Neurolink Dispersive Autonomic Manouevre synthesis system; the more manageable Gundam. The unfortuate Kira would go on to play a significant role in subsequent events, in particular because it was he who had finally solved one of the projects particular problems. While the project had successively produced a Neurolink that could respond to a Natural’s brain, the programming remained incomplete. When Lieutenant Murrue Ramius tried to pilot the GAT X105 Strike herself, she could barely control it thanks to the incomplete OS. An exasperated Kira reprogrammed the OS himself, and was able to control the Strike perfectly. The OS was copied into the Archangel’s computer banks as a backup, and was extracted by OMNI when the Archangel reached Alaska. Though Kira had designed it to his own specifications, OMNI nevertheless gained vital insights, and was able to finish the OS for the mass production unit, the GAT-01 Strike Dagger, in a matter of weeks; just in time for its first combat deployment at Porta Panama, with the 13th Independent Mobile Battalion. The Strike Dagger was a relatively simple design, with capabilities comparable to those of the GINN. But the units deployed at Porta Panama were equipped with beam rifles, allowing them to reliably down GINNs with single shots. This did a great deal to overcome ZAFT’s advantages in experience and innate ability. Taking ZAFT forces by surprise, the 13th were stopped only by the deployment of Gugnir EMP bombs, against which early model Strike Daggers had inadequate protection. Later models nevertheless fought with distinction throughout the rest of the war. Despite its success, the Strike Dagger had only been intended as a stopgap, and would quickly be removed from service following the signing of the Junius Seven Treaty. It’s replacement was its original design, the GAT-01A1 Dagger. This version was capable enough to outperform a GINN, though not a match for the newer GuAIZ. Its most noteworthy feature was its ability to use Striker Packs, a selection of modular armament units that allowed each mobile suit to be easily refitted for different missions. Despite the treaty, the Dagger saw action in a series of colonial ‘police actions’ over following years. During this time, the practice of launching Striker Packs for mid-battle changes was abandoned, due to a high rate of failures and shoot-downs. Within OMNI, arguments broke out over the future of mobile suits; which despite their proven success still had enemies. This was in part ideological; mobile suits being seen as a tainted creation of Coordinators. But cliquism was also a factor, as those who had staked their reputations and careers on mobile armours sought to regain ground. An alterntive doctrine was proposed, based around the Skygrasper and Cosmograsper fighters, and the YMAF-X6BD Zamzah-Zah. Intended as the replacement for the Moebius, the Zamzah-Zah was an impressively powerful mobile armour, which not only offered extreme firepower and resilience, but was capable of hovering and flying under atmospheric conditions, as well as walking. This would allow it to operate in the same range of environments as mobile suits, potentially making them obsolete. But the Zamzah-Zah had suffered repeated cost and deadline overruns, causing OMNI to stick with mobile suits for the moment. Phantom Pain Officially known as the Special Security Corps, Phantom Pain is the dark shadow of OMNI. Created in the C.E. 60s at the behest of Muruta Azrael, it was intended to serve as a politically reliable armed force, both to keep OMNI honest and to fight against Coordinators everywhere, with a sideline in keeping order among the colonies. At first it was heavily imbued with Blue Cosmos ideology, and driven by Muruta Azrael‘s own ideals and neuroses. This included the practice of kidnapping or otherwise misappropriating young children, and training them to be ruthless and deadly soldiers. From the ranks of these latter-day Janissaries were drawn test subjects for the Extended Programme. With Azrael’s death, Djibril was finally able to run Phantom Pain as he pleased. Phantom Pain started out as a small special-forces organisation, recruited by Djibril from among OMNI personnel. The unit grew and grew, especially after Azrael began the policy of forcibly recruiting children. By the C.E. 70s, these unfortunates made up the bulk of Phantom Pain’s combat manpower. Though deeply loyal and protective of one-another, they were ruthless towards anyone outside their own ranks, be they Coordinators, civilians, OMNI personnel, and even Blue Cosmos. Djibril took advantage of this tendency to bend Phantom Pain to his will, even to the point where it would destroy Azrael and Blue Cosmos if he commanded it. From the C.E.70s onwards, Phantom Pain acquired mobile suits and a small fleet of Archangel and Lucifer class warships; making them a small but potent force. Phantom Pain has also included a variety of smaller subdivisions, notably the Biological CPUs and the Exemplars. The former, also known as Boosted Men and Extendeds, used cocktails of performance-enhancing drugs to push subjects to the extremes of physical and mental performance. The results were individually impressive, with Extendeds managing to match elite Coordinator soldiers in combat. But this came at a terrible cost to the subject’s physical and mental health, with many Extendeds displaying indiscipline and extreme behaviour in combat. After Azrael’s death the project was shut down, with the surviving Extendeds retrained under the Exemplar programme. The Exemplars, also called the E-Specials, took a quite different approach, with the main focus being on mental training and conditioning, backed by drugs. Little is known about this programme, for its members are not known to have taken part in the Bloody Valentine War. The programme’s leader is Typhon, a mysterious ally of Djibril. History The story of the Earth Alliance begins in the opening centuries of the 21st Century AD, as human civilisation entered a period of deep crisis. Resource shortages - particularly petrochemicals - combined with repeated financial rises and agricultural disruption caused by climate change and environmental damage to wreak havoc on the global economy. Global politicals became increasingly dominated by national chauvinism and populism, as governments sought to protect their own economies and disenchanted populaces turned to politicians who promises simple, hardline solutions to complex problems. But for all their promises of national renewal and prosperity for all, the governments of the world could not escape from harsh realities. Without the international trading system that had developed in the second half of the 20th century, they would be doomed to an era of power blocs and resource wars; which could very well end in the exchange of nuclear weapons. But at the same time, the international system was unfit for purpose. It could not meaningfully contain international capital, and ever-growing productivity caused its own problems. The only apparent answer was to increase the authority of the United Nations, in order to act as an impartial arbiter over global trade and finance. The Global Finance Plan, as their eventual proposal was known, consisted of two main parts. One was to reestablish the World Bank as a global central bank, serving to back a global reserve currency; the Earth Dollar. The Earth Dollar would serve as a backstop to all other currencies, and a globally accepted currency that states could use for trade among themselves. The second part was to establish democratic accountability over this system; without which many powerful states threaten to veto the whole GFP. The UN’s answer was the Canton System, under which the Earth would be divided into cantons of ten million or less, with each canton sending an elected representative to a revamped General Assembly. States were further encouraged to revamp their internal structures around the canton system, in order to simplify administration. Needless to say, the GFP was deeply controversial, and ran into endless political and popular resistance. Tragically, if any one factor can be identified as a cause of the events to follow, it is the attempts by the governments of the world to enforce the GFP - especially the canton system - on an uncomprehending and distrustful population. Attempts to apply the system were patchy at best, and were unable to prevent a descent into barbarism. The Reconstruction Wars The term ‘Reconstruction Wars’ generally refers to a period of on-off conflict running from 2034 to 2059 AD, or Year 9 of the Cosmic Era. The concept remains controversial, with some historians arguing for a longer or shorter period, while a few revisionists dismiss it as a misnomer. The period has nevertheless entered human historical memory as something more significant, and much darker, than a mere period of wars. It was a true dark age, in which human civilisation threatened to collapse into chaos and ruin. Far more destructive than the violence was the disruption to global trade, in particular the trade in food and medicine. Disruption to food supplies left whole nations without food, condemning them to collapse into chaos as the citizenry turned on the authorities, and each other, in search of food. Disruption to medical supplies fed a series of epidemics and minor outbreaks, contributing in turn to societal collapse. The death toll may never be known with any certainty, but estimates run from hundreds of millions to over a billion. It was out of this time of tragedy that the global order of the Cosmic Era grew. Some regions did better than others, and these differences were reflected in the new system. North America, though tormented by social unrest, managed to avoid outright civil war, and emerged from the dark age as the core of the Atlantic Federation. The European Union suffered a series of armed uprisings by nationalists, religious extremists, and rebellious immigrants, but all of these were crushed. South America endured a series of uprisings and resource wars, but managed to come together as the United States of South America. South-East Asia developed into a Chinese-led superpower euphemistically named the East Asian Federation, once China’s internal difficulties had been taken care of. The Equatorial Union appeared almost as an afterthought, being mostly India’s attempt to assert itself against China. The Eurasian Federation grew out of one of the most violent conflicts of the era; a conflict located primarily in the Midle East. The war began as a conflict between two alliances, one led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the other by the Islamic Republic of Iran. The conflict was driven by religious and ethnic conflicts, but its main goal was to establish political and economic dominance in the Middle East, and to control the lucrative oil trade. The resulting violence wrought havoc across the region, and sent new waves of refugees into neighbouring territories. In time, this brought about intervention from two neighbouring powers; Russia and the European Union. After a political shakeup in the 2020s, Russia had fallen under the control of ruthless Neo-Technocrats; one of the first of a new tendency in global politics. This new order abandoned the previous government’s policy of geopolitical subversion and provocation in favour of isolationism; and subjected Russia to a ruthless policy of infrastructure upgrades and automation. This served to put the Russian economy on a more sound basis, and regenerated Russian military power, but at the price of widespread social unrest. Intervention in the Middle East proved a convenient distraction, as Russia supported Iran and her allies with weapons and technology. Tormented by climate change, ecological damage, and economic failure, Iran and her allies became increasingly dependent on Russia. At this time the European Union had no wish to get involved. Past interventions in the Middle East had ended in disaster, and provoked blowback in the form of refugee waves and terrorism. These factors had tormented European politics for decades, provoking nationalist and nativist upsurges and anti-immigrant violence. Nevertheless, enough moderate voters remained to seek an alternative, and they found it in Neo-Technocracy. Neo-Technocrats rejected the ideological debates of the time, making themselves popular by providing scientific, rational solutions to everyday problems. To populations weary of the antics of Populists and extremists, and the incompetence of old-style politicians, they were a much-needed tonic. Over time, Neo-technocratic governments gained control across the whole of Europe, and set about enforcing reform. Perhaps the most significant of these reforms was the Neo-Energia Initiative, designed to create an oil-free economy, liberated from the geopolitical restrictions enforced by the reliance on petrochemicals. The plan was published in 2044 to widespread acclaim, but provoked horror in one quarter; the capitals of the Saudi-led alliance. Saudi Arabia and many of its allies depended on oil sales for their wealth, and feared that the NEI would leave them isolated and ruined. In what would prove a crucial political miscalculation, the Saudis issued an ultimatum to the EU; drop the plan, or no more oil. Since the Europeans needed Saudi oil to maintain their economy while the plan was completed, an embargo would be disastrous. It was at this point that Russia stepped in, making an offer the EU could not refuse. In return for the oil it needed to complete the NEI, Europe would join with Russia and its allies in a new Eurasian Federation, and together they would crush the Saudis and bring order to the Middle East. Seeing no viable alternative, the EU governments mostly agreed. Only the states of Norway, Sweden, and Finland refused, going on to form the Kingdom of Scandinavia. The new Eurasian Federation went on to conquer the whole of the Middle East, subjecting it to both the canton system and full-scale Neo-Technocratic reform. The peoples of that region would neither forgive, nor forget. The beginning of the end came in 2048, when a conflict between India and Pakistan over Kashmir led to the deployment of nuclear weapons. A full-scale nuclear exchange occurred, leaving Pakistan largely destroyed and India heavily damaged. The nuclear detonations sparked massive fires in urban areas, burning so hot that they warped local weather conditions, and wafted millions of tons of carbon ash into the atmosphere, along with nitrates and other contaminants. The result was a smoke cloud that covered the entire Earth for five years, blocking out sunlight and causing a new agricultural crisis, leading to yet more deaths. But this dark cloud had a silver lining. The horror of what had occurred shocked the governments of the world out of their destructive delusions. Nuclear war had been exposed as the folly it was, with no nation on Earth being able to escape the consequences. More than that, it convinced governments and populations alike that the wars had to end, and that a new world order was needed if human civilization was to survive. Cosmic Era Many years of negotiations followed, and the decade following the Indo-Pakistani War saw a winding down of violence. The nations and economic unions of Earth sought to create a new global society, in which such horrors would never be seen again. The Global Finance Plan was to be universally ratified, with the Earth Dollar becoming the single currency of the entire Earth. The Canton System was to be along with it, but with additional features. Cantons were to elect their own legislatures, which in turn would appoint representatives to the General Assembly. More than that, cantons were to enjoy true sovereign powers, including the right to collect their own taxes, enforce their own laws, and raise their own armies. Larger entities, such as nation-states or economic unions, were to be considered voluntary unions of cantons, with cantons choosing to pool their sovereign powers as they saw fit. The new order was formally declared in 2050 AD, which became the first year of the new calendar. The Cosmic Era was born, and humanity was, many hoped, finally on the path to a better future. It was a hope much-needed, for much of humanity languished in poverty and lawlessness as a result of the Reconstruction Wars. The last of these conflicts were declared over in C.E. 9, as the last brushfires of rebellion were put out in the Middle East and Africa, and the last independent states surrendered and joined the new order. But the establishment of a truly global economic system allowed for a relatively easy transfer of resources. The early decades of the Cosmic Era saw the rapid recovery of inhabited areas; though substantial areas of the globe were effectively abandoned, gradually rewilding as nature reclaimed them. Easily the biggest project of those halcyon days was the development of space; so long interrupted by the Reconstruction Wars. Construction of the Yggdrasil Space Station, put on hold by the violence, was resumed; with a view to make it the home of the United Nations government. Existing lunar colonies were expanded and improved, and the construction of space colonies began. The primary purpose of these colonies was to serve as mining bases for the resource asteroids that had been transferred from the Asteroid Belt over several decades; but they also became centres of space development, and true communities in their own right. The first colonies tended to follow the Stanford Torus model, while later colonies were O’Neill cylinders, capable of supporting populations of up to ten million. This was a time of hope and excitement, and never more so than in C.E. 15, when George Glenn, the greatest space scientist of the age, departed on an epoch-making mission to Jupiter aboard the Tsiolkovsky, a ship he had designed and built himself. Glenn was arguably the most famous man of his era: an Olympic silver medalist, American Football Star, decorated combat pliot, and renowned aerospace engineer before his thirtieth year. It was generally expected that his mission would be teh crowning glory of a magnificent career. But even this paled in the face of what came next, as Glenn made one last transmission before leaving Lunar orbit. In what would go down in history as the Glenn Confession, Glenn revealed that he was the product of a revolutionary method of genetic engineering; the full details of which he included in the transmission. He professed a belief in his own destiny, that he was ‘the Regulator, the Coordinator, the one meant to guide the way’; and called upon humanity to decide for itself what was to be done with the technology that created him. Storm Front To say that the Glenn Confession provoked controversy would be epic understatement. Responses varied from furious debate to mass panic, with angry protests and even riots breaking out across the country. The news quickly became the object of conspiracy theory, as the public presented fearful questions and found no answers. Was Glenn the only Coordinator? How many more had escaped into the world? Might the global elite be dominated by such creatures? Was the new UN order all part of their plan? Had Glenn blown open the greatest and most deadly conspiracy in the whole of human history? For some, the news that the greatest man of the age was a genetically engineering superhuman was appalling, a disappointment beyond measure. But to others it was a profound relief, even a comfort. Glenn‘s abilities, both in depth and range, went so far beyond normal human achievement that few if any could come close to matching them. This did not stop politicians, journalists, and parents from demanding similar performance of younger generations. If George Glenn could do it, they reasoned, why could not anyone else? The result was increased pressure on children and young people to match Glenn’s achievements; an impossible task for most, and with dreadful consequences. Countless thousands were left psychologically broken by the pressure, and all too many were driven to suicide. Among teachers and educators, who bore the brunt of this zeitgeist, Glenn became a hated figure; his legend a lash upon the backs of the young. It has been suggested that Glenn may have been all too aware of this, and made his confession in the hope of stopping it. In the year following the confession, a political and scientific conference was convened in Torino, Italy, to rule on genetic engineering technology Glenn had revealed, as well as genetic engineering in general. The outcome was never really in doubt. All genetic engineering, including the creation of Coordinators and Demihumans, was declared illegal under the new Torino Protocol. This was not without controversy, as this hardline approach had even banned purely medical research. One of the darker tests of the new law came in C.E. 17, when a group of Demihumans petitioned the UN for an exemption for reproductive functions; allowing them to use gene therapy in order to have children. Though the judges expressed sympathy, they refused the petition; on the basis that to make any exception for any reason would be to fatally weaken the the Torino Protocol. But for all that, the protocol’s enforcement was patchy at best. Across the world, wealthy individuals continued to have their children made into Coordinators in secret. This could not be exposed by DNA testing, as no person could be subjected to such a test without their own consent except in the context of a criminal investigation. Also, genetic research for other purposes - notably medical - continued in secret; protected by powerful corporations, wealthy individuals, and even governments. Though court cases were rare, this was no great secret, causing great resentment among those for whom suppressing genetic engineering was a matter of the utmost urgency. Of these, the most infamous by far was Blue Cosmos, which at Torino had declared itself implacably opposed to any and all forms of genetic engineering. Faced with the increasingly apparent ineffectiveness of the Torino Protocol, they resorted increasingly to direct action; including assassinations and terrorist attacks. March into Space Despite these developments, humankind’s advance into space continued at breakneck speed. More and more colonies were constructed; at first for asteroid mining, then for zero-g manufacturing, and then simply to support existing colonies. The Spacenoid community grew to the tens, and then hundreds of millions. Perhaps inevitably, they began to seek political representation in the form of canton status for their colonies. This was refused, on the basis that all Spacenoids had representation as residents of their native Cantons; despite the fact that it was impractical for them to return in order to vote. A deeper reason lay in the complex systems of sponsorship and investment under which the colonies had been built; so complex in fact, that identifying a legal owner could be quite difficult. As a result, the corporations and individuals who operated within those colonies could in practice do as they pleased. Faced with oppression and mistreatment, Spacenoids turned increasingly to violence to remedy their situation. The C.E. 20s and 30s saw an upsurge of terrorism and piracy, with the only means of opposing it lying with the space fleets of the superpowers. They were for the most part able to restore order, but in doing so gained the whip hand in the colonies, even over the sponsors. Under pressure from the superpowers, the UN granted canton status to an ever-growing number of colonies; with rumours abounding of superpowers interfering in cantonal elections to ensure the election of friendly administrations. But much of this went unnoticed in the face of more exciting events, notably the return of George Glenn in C.E. 29. An impromptu fleet of spaceships accompanied Glenn on his final deceleration, with ships competing to fly close to his window in the hope of a wink or a wave from the great man. But even more exciting was his cargo: an enormous fossil which he claimed to have found floating amid the asteroids of Jupiter. Dubbed Evidence 01, or the Winged Whale, it was rushed to the Zodiac research colony, where it would spend the next year hnder conditions of strictest secrecy. A year later, the research findings were published; the fossil was indeed of extraterrestrial origin. Glenn had found evidence of extraterrestrial life. Glenn’s return had another effect; to return genetic engineering to public attention. The Torino Protocol has been losing support over the years, with many seeing it as ineffective and counter-productive. In C.E. 30, a petition to the UN to revoke the Torino Protocol was put to the vote. Despite mass protests and threats of violence from Blue Cosmos, the bill passed. The result was an upsurge in the creation of Coordinators, and even Demihumans began to reappear in small numbers. A more immediate result was a wave of bomb attacks and political assassinations as Blue Cosmos carried out its threat. The superpowers retaliated with a full-scale crackdown, with mass arrests of anyone even suspected of being connected with Blue Cosmos. The organisation‘s back was broken, and it would remain quiet for many years. The militarisation of space saw another major development in C.E.35, as the Atlantic Federation established a military base in the Moon’s Ptolemaeos crater. The other superpowers responded by developing similar space assets, notably Eurasia’s Artemis asteroid base. These developments caused alarm across the Earth Sphere, leading to a move to combine the space fleets under OMNI command. This would not happen until C.E.45, and then only in response to another crucial development. PLANTs In C.E. 38, George Glenn announced plans for a new range of space colonies, these to be built at Lagrange Point 5. Dubbed Productive Location Ally on Nexus Technology, or PLANT, these colonies were designed as two hemispheres - created from former resource asteroids - combined in an hourglass shape along a central pylon, and rotating around their central axis, thus creating gravity on the flat inner surface of each hemipshere. The optimal capacity of each colony was much less than that of an O’Neill cylinder, at about a million people each, but they were considerably cheaper to build. One hundred and twenty of these would be built, arranged into twelve ‘Cities’ of ten, each of which could function as a canton. The first ten PLANTs were brought online in C.E. 44, under a new UN sponsorship plan designed to avoid the legal complications of previous colonisation efforts. The sponsors were the three main superpowers; the Atlantic Federation, the Eurasian Federation, and the East Asian Federation, whose governments would have formal authority over the PLANTs. But what made the PLANTs truly noteworthy was their populations, which were mad up entirely of Coordinators. Though their numbers continued to grow - exceeding ten million by C.E. 45 - Coordinators remained deeply controversial. All too many emigrated to the PLANTs quite willingly, in the hope of safety and freedom. Others were bribed, intimidated, or outright forced into going. The PLANTs became, in effect, ghettoes; designed to contain, protect, and exploit. Exploited they would be, but not protected. Blue Cosmos was on the rise once again, and it would not be satisfied seeing the hated Coordinators exiled to space; especially when a new generation of Coordinators, born to Coordinator parents, were showing the same enhanced abilities as the previous generation. Their response was a wave of terrorist attacks; not simply on the PLANTs, but on Coordinators and anyone seen to be sympathising with them. The PLANTs had no effective means of resisting, and neither OMNI nor the sponsors had any success - or arguably any intent - in stopping Blue Cosmos. The only powers to have any such success were the Orb Union, the Kingdom of Scandinavia, and the Oceania Union; all three of which tolerated Coordinators. In C.E. 50, the PLANTs struck back, as Coordinators formed the Zodiac Alliance - named for the Zodiac colony in which the group first met - to fight for the rights of the PLANTs and Coordinators. It’s founding leaders were Siegel Clyne, a scientist of Scandinavian birth, and Patrick Zala, an academic born in the Atlantic Federation. At first the group was a political party, campaigning for the PLANTs to be granted canton status and all the rights that came with it. But the sponsors were having none of it, and between their own presence in the State Assembly and pressure on their canton representatives in the General Assembly, they ensured that all petitions were voted down. But the superpowers miscalculated, and used their authority to ban the ZA as a political party; a dreadful mistake. The Zodiac Alliance went underground, and resorted to direct action. Over time it mutated into a guerilla army or a terrorist organisation, depending on one’s point of view. Its targets were Blue Cosmos, anyone who associated with it, and anyone else who mistreated Coordinators or attacked the PLANTs. Between C.E.50 and C.E 60, ZA launched hundreds of attacks, matching terror with terror. They also worked to subvert PLANT society, organising informal networks of civilians and arming them against the OMNI Military Police. Scientists and engineers were also suborned, and set to creating weapons and other tools. The Final Countdown But all ZA’s attacks achieved was to further enrage and embolden Blue Cosmos - for whom this was a fight to the death - while convincing many on Earth that the PLANTs were dangerous. Matters came to a head in C.E. 53 when, while canvassing support for a new Jupiter mission - George Glenn was assassinated. The killer was a young man who had dreamed of a career in space, and for whom Glenn had been a hero. But a downturn in colony construction had reduced opportunities for space careers, and what was available tended to be taken by Coordinators. Denied his dream, he had become radicalized by Blue Cosmos, who convinced him that privileged Coordinators and bolshy Spacenoids had robbed him of his future. ZA responded with a series of attacks on Blue Cosmos members and sympathisers, further heightening tensions. In response of this, OMNI MP garrisons across Maius City in the PLANTs launched a coordinated series of raids and arrests against suspected ZA members. The civilian populations retaliated with armed force, and MPs found themselves under attack wherever they went. ZA forces were quick to respond, assisting the civilians as best they could, and launching attacks on MP barracks and HQs. Within hours the MPs were overwhelmed, and retreated back to their bases in the central pylons, only to be overwhelmed there too. By the end of the day, all MPs in Maius City had surrendered or fled the colonies entirely. It would be remembered as the ‘Maius Miracle’. OMNI and the sponsor governments were enraged, and vowed massive retaliation. But even if they did so, it would not solve a simple problem; to garrison troops on the PLANTs, except in unsustainable numbers, would be to sentence them to death. Days of tension followed, until a compromise solution was negotiated. The sponsors agreed to withdraw their garrisons and allow the PLANTs to form their own civil police forces, and even to form a Supreme Council representing all the PLANT cities. In return, the PLANTs would not militarize, and would continue to fulfill quotas prescribed by the sponsor governments. Also, it would agree not to create any agricultural colonies, and to continue importing food from Earth. To some ZA hardliners it was a sellout, but most accepted it as a next step on the road to freedom. On Earth, Blue Cosmos-inspired demonstrations denounced the agreement, demanding justice for the dead MPs. If the agreement was meant to bring peace, it ultimately failed. ZA took advantage of the new arrangement to expand its numbers and resources, and even arranged the creation of the Laurasia class freighter; designed to be converted easily into a warship. Meanwhile, the shadow war between Blue Cosmos and ZA continued, and the other colonies became increasingly restive. Violence at Lagrange 4 made the area increasingly unlivable, with whole colony clusters reduced to shoal zones in which only the dispossessed and the desperate resided. Meanwhile, OMNI continued to expand its resources in the face of a deteriorating security situation, its members increasingly resentful of ZA and the PLANTs. Finally, in C.E. 65, the situation took a turn for the worse. Under the leadership of Patrick Zala, ZA was renamed the Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty, or ZAFT, and reorganised into a paramilitary force. In the same year, ZAFT also revealed what would become one of its defining features; mobile suits. These were at first deployed aboard Laurasia class freighters, allowing them to move around unnoticed, and used either to defend the PLANTs from attack or to launch hit-and-run attacks elsewhere in the Earth Sphere. Favoured OMNI targets included patrol squadrons and watch stations, seriously degrading OMNI’s ability to maintain situational awareness in the Earth Sphere, and to observe the outer planets. Bloody Valentine OMNI’s situation was growing increasingly intolerable. L4 had been lost, L5 was under PLANT control, and L3 was becoming increasingly restive, despite the presence of Artemis base. If things got much worse, there was a real risk that the UN would lose control of space altogether. Calls for a decisive showdown with the PLANTs grew louder and louder, and OMNI analysts grew increasingly concerned about the effectiveness of ZAFT’s mobile suit forces; which had inflicted numerous humiliations on OMNI forces and raided commercial shipping across the Earth Sphere. The establishment of the G-Weapon project in C.E. 69 came in response to this; a project run in secret cooperation with Morgenroete, the Orb Union‘s national weapons manufacturer. But as tensions rose, so did Blue Cosmos’ influence and power. By C.E. 60, a new group of young, influential leaders had taken control of the organisation, elbowing the old guard aside and reorganising Blue Cosmos into an efficient and modern political machine, with an equally efficient militant wing. Using their wealth and influence, and leveraging political power via the ballot box, Blue Cosmos was able to bend the Atlantic Federation and South African Federation to its will, and establish significant influence over other powers, including OMNI. In this they played on existing fears and resentments, including anger over the Maius Incident and concerns over Spacenoid radicalism, to establish a support base. In February of C.E. 70, the UN made one last attempt to remedy the situation and restore peace. A meeting was to be held at Copernicus City on the Moon, with the entire UN leadership present, alongside representatives of unrepresented Spacenoid powers, including the PLANTs. But as PLANT ambassdor Siegel Clyne’s shuttle approached the Moon, it was orbit to enter a holding orbit; ostensibly due to a security query. As Clyne waited, the freighter Eurydice made an unauthorized turn and plunged straight into the city dome, breaking it open and plunging straight into the central district, where the UN meeting was being held. The city was largely destroyed, and the entire UN leadership wiped out, including representatives of several independent colonies. Clyne’s shuttle fled back to the PLANTs in the confusion, further fuelling suspicion that ZAFT was responsible. Amid the chaos, the superpower governments moved quickly. Issuing the Alaska Declaration, the Atlantic Federation, Eurasian Federation, East Asian Federation, and the South African Federation, declared the Earth Alliance; promising to protect democracy and restore order. Citing a state of emergency, they reformed the State Assembly to act as their government, but did not reform the General Assembly, leaving them free of democratic oversight. The other superpowers, states, and independent colonies walked out in protest, and the PLANTs denounced the new government as illegitimate. On February 11th, the newly-founded Earth Alliance issued a final demand to the PLANTs; including full disarmament, and allowing OMNI personnel into the PLANTs to investigate any possible involvement in the Tragedy of Copernicus. The ultimatum went unanswered, and the alliance declared war on the PLANTs. What followed was an horror that would echo for generations. On February 14th, Saint Valentine’s Day, an OMNI carrier battlegroup, led by the carrier Roosevelt, approached the Junius City. At this time, ZAFT was still hastily mobilising its forces, while Supreme Council Chairman Siegel Clyne sought desperately to prevent violence. As the battlegroup approached, it was nevertheless challenged by teams of ZAFT mobile suits and warships, and a furious battle ensued. As the battle raged, a single Moebius mobile armour fired a single anti-ship missile straight at the Junius Seven PLANT; which had been converted into an agricultural colony in defiance of the sponsor governments. The missile, though few if any knew it, was carrying a nuclear warhead. The warhead detonated in proximity of the central pylon, causing it to snap and the colony to fly apart, exposing the unprepared population to open space. 243,721 people were killed, the entire population aside from a handful who made it to shelters in time. Among the dead was agricultural engineer Lenore Zala, wife of Patrick Zala and mother of his son, Athrun Zala. Falling Stars I The Junius Seven massacre sent shockwaves around the Earth Sphere, outraging the PLANTs, demoralising many on Earth, and turning increasing numbers of Spacenoids against the EA. On Earth, the African Conmunity and the Oceania Union declared for the PLANTs, though this provoked Blue Cosmos-backed riots and armed uprisings in some areas. Chief Representative Uzumi Nara Athha of the Orb Union and King Magnus of Scandinavia expressed sympathy on behalf of their respective nations, but remained neutral. ZAFT’s response was to go on the offensive, launching attacks on OMNI fleet assets wherever it could. OMNI discovered to its cost that it had badly underestimated ZAFT, and suffered heavy losses. Hoping to force a decisive battle, OMNI assembled a large fleet near the Yggdrasil space station, hoping such a concentration and the symbolism of the station would be too good to ignore. ZAFT responded with its largest concentration thus far, first engaging on February 22nd. The battle would rage on and off for a month, as OMNI fed more and more ships into the struggle. ZAFT discovered in turn that it lacked experience in managing large formations and battles, making its efforts less efficient than they might have been. Yggdrasil station was largely destroyed in the fighting. ZAFT nevertheless realised that they had turned OMNI’s trap on its head. With OMNI’s space forces distracted, they had a clear run at the Earth. Deciding to support their surface allies, and weaken OMNI while they were at it, ZAFT launched a landing operation at Lake Victoria, in the South African Federation, with a view to capturing the Habilis mass driver. The landing proved a resounding success, and the battle went well for ZAFT, until Eurasian armoured divisions intervened and overwhelmed the ZAFT mobile suits. For ZAFT it was a costly defeat, but a valuable lesson; their mobile suits needed aerial and long-ranged fire support to be sure of victory against linear tanks. On April 1st, ZAFT followed up with a much larger campaign, hurrying to do so while OMNI space forces were still in disarray. Dubbed Operation Ouroboros, ZAFT dropped a series of automated drilling rigs, fitted with N-Jammers, onto the Earth’s surface. Hundreds reached the Earth’s surface and drilled into the ground, their N-Jammer fields not only rendering nuclear weapons useless, but also neutralizing hundreds of nuclear power stations. These stations, designed to have useful lives of up to a century, used legacy technologies that were vulnerable to the N-jammer; whereas newer reactors, of the sort used on warships, were not. The result was a planetwide energy crisis, throwing economies and societies into turmoil of a kind not seen on Earth since the Reconstruction Wars. Disruptions to food and medical supplies, and resulting social disorder, would kill millions. Some ZAFT hardliners wanted to follow up with an orbital bombardment of asteroids, or nuclear missiles equipped with N-Jammer Cancellers, but the Supreme Council vetoed such harsh measures. Instead, ZAFT responded with its planetary forces, launching drops directly onto the territories of their allies. Desperate to prevent ZAFT getting a foothold, OMNI rushed its Pacific fleet to Australia in the hope of preventing the landings. But ZAFT had already been smuggling weapons and personnel into the region, and OMNI forces found themselves trapped between ZAFT air attacks and underwater mobile suits, not to mention GINNs dropping onto them from above. The Battle of Carpentaria was a costly defeat for OMNI, but Carpentaria was badly damaged in the fighting, and some blamed ZAFT as much as OMNI for the destruction. At around the same time, ZAFT forces captured a major OMNI base at Gibraltar, giving them effective control of the Mediterranean sea. Humiliated and vulnerable, OMNI found itself under increasing pressure to strike back. After what had happened at Yggdrasil, OMNI commanders were reluctant to launch another major operation. But ZAFT had suffered casualties also, and its attempts to assert itself around the Earth Sphere were causing overstretch. Seeing an opportunity, OMNI SCHQ deployed the fifth and sixth orbital fleets - sixty warships in all - to attack the ZAFT resource asteroid of Jachin Due. The resulting battle was another defeat for OMNI, but it nevertheless spooked ZAFT, as Jachin Due lay on a direct route to the PLANTs. In response, the asteroid was converted into a fortress. ZAFT followed up with a raid on the Moon, seeking to destroy the OMNI supply base in the Endymion Crater. They were opposed by the third orbital fleet, including the elite Zero Squadron; made up of potent Moebius Zero mobile armours. The Zeroes inflicted heavy losses on ZAFT’s mobile armours, but the third fleet was destroyed, leaving a single survivor; Lieutenant Junior Grade Mu La Flaga, who would go down in legend as the Hawk of Endymion. The ZAFT force was destroyed in its entirety, leading to rumours that a powerful new weapon was used. Only La Flaga knew the truth, and he wasn’t telling. The last major battle of C.E. 70 came at the Nova resource asteroid, OMNI’s sole remaining asset in L4. Fighting raged around the asteroid for a month, until OMNI finally abandoned the site. According to legend, the commander left a note reading “Caveat Emptor”; Latin for “Let the buyer beware.” If his ZAFT replacements did not understand the sardonic message, they soon would. The asteroid turned out to be largely dug out, so ZAFT converted it into the fortress Boaz. To make matters worse, the L4 shoal zones were infested with pirates and desperate refugees. ZAFT forays into the zones ended with whole ships disappearing without a trace. More to come